IAB Node Secure Tunnel Selection for Uplink Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 5G IAB network experiences increased latency due to multi-hop architectures, which hinders the application of services requiring high reliability and low latency, such as the Internet of vehicles and URLLC, as existing security protection mechanisms increase processing latency at IAB nodes and donors.
Innovation Solution
Establishing multiple secure tunnels with different security statuses between IAB nodes and donors, allowing the nodes to determine a target secure tunnel based on the PDCP layer security status of data packets, thereby reducing unnecessary encryption and integrity protection calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security protection mechanisms (encryption and integrity protection) are applied to all data packets in IAB networks, then data security is improved, but transmission latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different security protection measures to different data packets based on their specific requirements. Data packets requiring security protection (those without PDCP sequence numbers or with integrity protection requirements) are encrypted and integrity-protected, while data packets that do not require security protection are transmitted without these operations. This selective application of security measures reduces unnecessary processing latency while maintaining security where needed.
2Reliability
If encryption calculation and integrity protection calculation are performed on uplink data packets, then data security is improved, but processing latency at IAB nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs security protection operations only on the portion of data packets that require protection, rather than applying security measures to all packets. By identifying data packets that do not require security protection (those with PDCP sequence numbers indicating they are already protected), the system avoids unnecessary encryption and integrity protection calculations, thereby reducing processing latency at IAB nodes while maintaining security where required.
3Reliability
If decryption calculation and integrity check calculation are performed on received data packets, then data security is ensured, but processing latency at IAB donors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs decryption and integrity check operations only on data packets that were actually encrypted and integrity-protected during transmission. By identifying data packets that did not require security protection (based on PDCP sequence number analysis), the IAB donor avoids unnecessary decryption and integrity check calculations on those packets, thereby reducing processing latency while ensuring security verification where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A communications method includes: an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node receives an uplink data packet from a terminal; the IAB node determines a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer security status of the uplink data packet; the IAB node determines a target secure tunnel from a plurality of secure tunnels between the IAB node and an IAB donor based on the PDCP layer security status of the uplink data packet; and the IAB node sends the uplink data packet to the IAB donor through the target secure tunnel. This application is applicable to a data transmission process.